Solar lamps lighting up lives in rural Rajasthan

File photo of women from Dungarpur getting appreciation certificate from Union power minister Piyush Goyal in Mumbai.Jaipur: Savita Rani, a class IX drop out in a village in Dungapur, has earned Rs 5,000 from selling solar tube lights in the just three villages last month. She was unemployed till she underwent training with 85 other women in assembling, distribution and repair of solar tube lights in Dungarpur by graduates of IIT-Bombay this April which changed her life.

These women have lighted-up 14,700 homes in 90 villages since the campaign was launched in May this year. Most of these villages either are non-electrified or having errant power supply. The training is given in collaboration with Rajasthan Grameen Ajivika Vikas Parishad (RGVP), department of Rural Development and IIT-Bombay's programme Million- Solar Urja Lamps (SoUL).

It is aimed at empowering tribal women by providing sustainable means of revenue generation, besides providing access to clean and healthier light to every household in the region. "The collaboration will play a pivotal role in changing the lives of women in the tribal region. Besides, making them financially independent they are becoming agents of change by providing sustainable electricity to poor households," said Anil Singh, consultant financial inclusion, RGVP, department of Rural Development.

This lamp is of one watt and it runs for 6 hours, if fully charged. It cost Rs 200 per unit. In this model, the assembly, distribution and maintenance/repair of the solar lamp are done by these women. The solar lamp takers are from different socio economic backgrounds.

Rani explains other significant changes in the life of those who purchased solar tubes. She said, "It has increased the mobility of women during nights. In these villages toilets are a luxury and women after dark prefer to stay indoors and even don't go out for toilet. These lamps have provided them a safe secure movement during nights."

The lamps also help children in study for a longer duration. The students in non-electrified villages study under kerosene lamps. The prolonged use means more expenditure in using these lamps. "I am hoping that it will allow students to study for longer hours besides which would eventually reduce the drop outs and enhance the learning outcomes," said Singh. The RGVP is taking the project ahead by financially helping some self-help groups to come up with a unit for assembling solar tubes.

“To save the environment and to fight climate change, my government has planned a major campaign. By 2022, we want to generate 175 GW of renewable energy. In the last three years, we have already achieved 60 GW or around one-third of this target,” he said.